Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 79
19 FEB 2017 A.D.



First Reading
Lv 19:1-2, 17-18

The LORD said to Moses,
"Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them:
Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy.

"You shall not bear hatred for your brother or sister in your heart.
Though you may have to reprove your fellow citizen,
do not incur sin because of him.
Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against any of your people.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
I am the LORD."



Responsorial Psalm
Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13

R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

He pardons all your iniquities,
heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

Merciful and gracious is the LORD,
slow to anger and abounding in kindness.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.

As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.



Second Reading
1 Cor 3:16-23

Brothers and sisters:
Do you not know that you are the temple of God,
and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person;
for the temple of God, which you are, is holy.

Let no one deceive himself.
If any one among you considers himself wise in this age,
let him become a fool, so as to become wise.
For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God,
for it is written:
God catches the wise in their own ruses,
and again:
The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise,
that they are vain.

So let no one boast about human beings, for everything belongs to you,
Paul or Apollos or Cephas,
or the world or life or death,
or the present or the future:
all belong to you, and you to Christ, and Christ to God.



Alleluia
1 Jn 2:5

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever keeps the word of Christ,
the love of God is truly perfected in him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.



Gospel
Mt 5:38-48

Jesus said to his disciples:
"You have heard that it was said,
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.
When someone strikes you on your right cheek,
turn the other one as well.
If anyone wants to go to law with you over your tunic,
hand over your cloak as well.
Should anyone press you into service for one mile,
go for two miles.
Give to the one who asks of you,
and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow.

"You have heard that it was said,
You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.
But I say to you, love your enemies
and pray for those who persecute you,
that you may be children of your heavenly Father,
for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good,
and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Do not the tax collectors do the same?
And if you greet your brothers only,
what is unusual about that?
Do not the pagans do the same?
So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Bible Study--7th Sunday in Ordinary Tine--Cycle A
(courtesy: Vince Contreras--Sunday Scripture Study for Catholics)


"Your duty is to sanctify yourself.  Yes, even you.  Who thinks that this task is only for priests and religious?  To everyone, without exception, our Lord said: `Be ye perfect, as My Heavenly Father is perfect'." --St Josemaria Escriva

 Look at the reading compared to what is going on on the US today. 

Thank you so much for these beautiful posts BNA!! So grateful for all that goes into this!!!

You're very welcome, AF!

Yes--it's really sad what we see going on today all around us. BUT--might that just be the point?

"Be holy, for I, the LORD, your God, am holy."

Are we not to be examples--exemplars of Christianity--to all those around us? Like beacons of hope and encouragement to those poor souls tossed and buffeted by today's godless world. Should we not give such "aid and comfort" to those in the world simply for the glory of God?

Surely the way we live our lives will influence those around us. Was not Christianity a crime against the state for like 250 years until Constantine? How did THOSE Christians do it? They had no cell phones, no internet, no i Pads. Nothing! Yet they worked, lived, and loved to plant the seeds of Holy Mother Church.

Our Blessed Lord never promised us life on the third rock from the sun would be a bed of roses. Quite the contrary. BUT--he gave us his love and grace to endure. As my old football coach back in the 1960s used to tell us: "Let's grind out 'bout three yards in a cloud of dust and we'll get there." The ground game is tough, hard, sweaty work.

Every day in life: BE CHRISTIAN!

your child is sick in bed: BE CHRISTIAN. tire goes flat on your way to work: BE CHRISTIAN. co-worker gives you grief: BE CHRISTIAN. neighbor gets rowdy: BE CHRISTIAN. shoppers at the store are rude: BE CHRISTIAN....it all adds up.

Like Al Kresta of Ave Maria says: "First build the church, it will bless the nation."

Thanks, again BeNotAfraid I look forward to your post every week.

Many thanks, cb73!

It's a Team Effort to put it together each week; for us, it's a true "Labor of Love!"

We appreciate you being here with us, cb73!